Rail slotting machine



June 26, 1934.

A. S. KALENBORN RAIL SLOTTING MACHINE llllll m fq W x k Q E Q %R iiiiil "idlllnlll J a L w w 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEYS. j

June 26, 1934. A. s. KALENBORN RAIL SLOTTING MAICHINE NM QM IN VEN TOR. 4/7'0/7 j A a/e/ww'fi 63% w 4% A TTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1930 Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL SLOTTING MACHINE Application January 31, 1930, Serial No. 424,891

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to machines for cutting slots in the rails of railway tracks, and is intended primarily for use in cutting transverse slots in rail joints.

It is an object of the present invention to devise a machine of the above character which is portable and which can be readily manipulated by a single operator.

It is a further object of the invention to devise a rail slotting machine which can be positively clamped to a rail for performing slotting operations, and which can also be quickly and readily removed when necessary.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description in which I have set forth the preferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents consistent with the state of the prior art.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the machine applied to a rail for slotting the same.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan detail illustrating the mechanism for automatically feeding and adjusting the cutting tool.

In copending application of A. W. McClary, Serial No. 324,856 filed December 10, 1928, there is disclosed a novel form of rail joint provided with a transverse slot at the point of junction between the rail sections. Such a slot provides space into which metal of the rail can flow, thus preventing chipping and mutilation of the rail ends over a long period of use. The present invention is intended for use in forming such slots.

As shown in the drawings the machine consists of a frame or body 10, which can be in the form of a metal casting, and which serves as a mounting for the movable parts of the machine. Members 11 are rigidly secured to and extend from one side of body 10, and when the machine is in operation, these members are adapted to overlie the rail to be slotted.

As an example of suitable means for clamping the body 10 to a rail, there is shown a plurality of spaced plungers or pins 12, slidably positioned within body 10, and arranged so as to be normally in a substantially horizontal position. For forcing pins 12 into engagement with a rail, there is shown a shaft 13 journaled in body 10 and extending transversely of the pins 12. Shaft 13 can be turned by means of a foot lever 14, which is secured to one end of shaft 13, and this foot lever 69 normally extends in a general upright position when pins 12 are in retracted position. A plurality of eccentric members 16 are fixed to shaft 13, and are adapted to engage and project pins 12 when foot lever 14 and shaft 13 are rotated in one direction. Suitable means such as compression springs 17 serve to normally bias pins 12 towards retracted position. Tension spring 18, having its one end secured to foot lever 14, and its other end anchored to body 10, serves to normally bias foot 70. lever 14 to a general upright position, so that pins 12 are normally retracted. When foot lever 14 is swung downwardly towards a general horizontal position pins 12 are moved to a projected position, and when pressure is removed from lever 14, this lever automatically returns to its upright position thus causing automatic retraction of pins 12.

As will be presently explained, when the machine is in operative position, surfaces 21 of members 11 rest upon the upper surfaces of the rail 22 which is to be slotted. When in operating position, projection of pins 12 brings the ends of these pins into engagement with one side of the rail ball portion 23. For engaging the opposite sides of the ball portion 23, I provide pins 24 which are mounted in members 11. To provide an adjustment for these pins'they are preferably threaded into members 11 and are provided with lock nuts 26 so that they can be fixed in any one desired adjusted position. The ends of pins 12 and 24 are formed, as by being pointed, so as to secure a good grip upon the ball portions 23 when pins 12 are projected.

To steady the frame or body 10, and to facilitate operation of the machine, I preferably provide an extension member 27 which is rigidly seemed to body 10, and which serves to engage the opposite rail of the track. Preferably the engagement of extension 27 with the opposite rail is adjustable, and for this purpose I have shown a plate 28 adjustably secured to the end of member 27, by means of bolt 29. Pin 31 projects from plate 28 eccentrically with respect to the axis of bolt 29, and serves to engage the upper surface of the opposite rail 32. It is evident that by adjusting the angular position of plate 28, the level of body 10 can be adjusted between certain limits. Such an adjustment is frequently desirable when the surface of the 110 rail to be slotted is not level, or when the machine is operating upon curved sections of track.

As a means for cutting a slot when body 10 is clamped to the rail 22, I provide a cutting tool or bit 34, which is removably held by a tool holder 36. This tool holder includes a member 37 which is pivotally secured to a block 38. Bit 34 is clamped to member 37, and the pivotal connection between member 37 and block 38 is such that the bit and member 37 are free to swing forwardly, 01' to the left as viewed in Fig. 5, but is prevented from swinging in the opposite direction. To make possible the desired adjustments and movements of the bit 34, block 38 is shown slidably retained by the upright guide members 39, which in turn are mounted upon a reciprocating carriage 41. Carriage 41 engages parallel guide grooves 42, formed in the frame or body 10.

For reciprocating carriage 41 along the guide grooves 42, thus causing the bit 34 to be moved back and forth across the upper surface of the rail 22, I have shown suitable means such as a hand lever 43, which is pivotally secured to the body 10 by means of bracket 44 and pivot shaft 45. This lever is connected to carriage 41 by means of an arm 46 which is rotatable together with lever 43, and which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 47. The other end of link 47 has a pivotal connection 48 with the carriage 41, as shown in Fig. 5.

For moving block 38 within the guide members 39, thus serving to adjust bit 34 vertically with respect to the rail 22, I have shown a threaded rod 51 having its lower end connected to a lug 52, this lug being in turn carried by block 38. Rod 51 extends upwardly thru a plate 53, which in turn extends across and is secured to the guide members 39. A nut 54 has a threaded engagement with rod 51 and is rotatably retained within plate 53. Upon rotation of nut 54 it is evident that threaded rod 51 is raised or lowered accordingly, and also bit 34 is raised or lowered with respect to the rail 22.

Raising or lowering of threaded rod 51 can be effected automatically, by providing suitable means including a ratchet wheel 56, which is secured to the upper end of nut 54. A spring pressed pawl 57 is provided for engaging the teeth of ratchet wheel 56, and this pawl is carried by an arm 58. Arm 58 is journaled to plate 53 so as to swing about the axis of threaded rod 51, and is connected to a movable part of hand lever 43 by means of link 59. One end of this link 59 is shown as having a pivotal connection 61 with lever 43, while the other end is shown provided with a universal connection 62 with arm 58. It is evident that as hand lever 43 is oscillated, to reciprocate carriage 41, arm 58 is also oscillated thru a given angle to impart angular movements in one direction to the ratchet wheel 56.

To prevent reverse movements of the ratchet wheel, I have shown a spring pressed pawl 63 mounted upon plate 53. In order to permit rotation of ratchet wheel 56 in an opposite direction to that in which it is automatically fed thus permitting raising of the bit 34, and also to permit an adjustment of the rate of feed, I have provided a manually operable lever 64 which is also journaled to plate 53 so that it can be swung about the axis of threaded rod 51. This lever 64 carries a segment 66, which closely surrounds a portion of the periphery of ratchet wheel 56. When lever 64 is rotated in one direction, say in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, segneeeaei ment 66 serves to disengage both pawls 57 and 63 from ratchet wheel 56, thus leaving this ratchet wheel free to be rotated manually to lift the bit 34. To facilitate manual rotation of the ratchet wheel, suitable means can be provided, as for example a manually engageable knob 67, as shown in Fig. 5.

In practice the machine can be constructed sufficiently light that it can be readily lifted by an operator. However I also prefer to provide wheels or rollers which will facilitate transporting the machine from one rail joint to another. Thus I have shown a pair of rollers 69 arranged upon the sides of the body 10, these rollers being carried by suitable brackets '71. Normally these rollers overlie but do not engage the rail 22. In transporting the machine, frame of body 10 can be tilted to one side or the other to bring one of the rollers 69 into engagement with rail 22, so that a substantial amount of the weight of the machine is carried by the engaged rollers. When tilted in this manner, the machine can be moved along over the track, with pin 31 slidably engaging the opposite rail 32. To facilitate such manipulation, I have shown a hand grip bar '72 pivotally connected to the free end of hand lever 43. A locking plunger 73 is provided so that gripping bar 72 can either be locked in a position in which it extends parallel to the axis of pivotal shaft 45, or in a position in which it extends at right angles thereto and transversely of the track. Likewise a similar locking plunger '74 can be carried by arms 76, rigidly secured to bracket 44 shown in Fig. 2. When hand lever 43 is in substantially vertical position, plunger 74 can be engaged with an aperture 7'7 in the hand lever 43, thus locking the hand lever in this position. With the hand lever locked in vertical position and gripping bar 72 extending transversely of the track, it is apparent that the operator can grasp bar '72 and employ lever 43 to tilt the machine, thus facilitating transporting the machine from one portion of the track to another.

It is also desirable to facilitate removal of the machine from the track to permit passing of regular traffic. For this purpose I have shown a wheel 79 journaled upon bracket 81, this bracket extending out from one end of frame 10 beyond the rail 22. When it is necessary or desirable to remove the machine from the track, the operator need not lift the entire weight of the machine, but can tilt the frame to one side by grasping hand lever 43, to bring wheel '79 in a substantially vertical plane, and then by lifting extension 27, the machine can be rolled away from the track on wheel '79.

In operating the machine described above, frame 10 is positioned upon the track with the bit 34 alined with the joint to be slotted. The operator then places one foot upon lever 14 to depress the same and to project pins 12, thus securely clamping the frame to the rail 22. Since this clamping engagement is formed upon the ball of the rail, the clamping engagement is not interfered with in any way by the usual angle plates of the rail joint. Bit 34 is then adjusted manually to bring its lower end in proximity to the upper surface of the rail to be slotted. The operator then reciprocates hand lever 43, to traverse the bit 34 across the joint. For each stroke of the bit, the bit is lowered automatically a given amount, by automatic angular movements of the ratchet wheel 56. The amount of movement of the ratchet wheel for each stroke can be adjusted by adjusting the position of hand lever 64. Bit

34 is preferably sharpened in such a manner as to produce a slot of the desired width. When a slot has been cut of sufficient depth as for example about inch deep, the operator can raise bit 34 by manually rotating ratchet wheel 56, and when the operators foot is removed from lever 14 this lever automatically moves to a raised position and causes automatic disengagement with the rail 22. The machine can then be transported to another joint to be slotted as has been previously described.

I claim:

1, In a rail joint slotting machine, a frame, means upon the frame adapted to engage one side of a rail, a member also carried by the frame and movable to a projected position to engage the opposite side of the rail, a spring for biasing said member toward a retracted position, a foot lever pivotally carried by the frame, means connecting said member and said foot lever whereby when the foot lever is depressed said member is projected to engage and clamp the rail, and rail slotting means carried by the frame, said slotting means including a movable hand lever located in such a position with respect to the foot lever that the foot lever can be held depressed and the hand lever simultaneously actuated by a single operator.

2. In a rail joint slotting machine, a frame, means for removably clamping the frame to the rail of a track adjacent a joint to be slotted, cutting means carried by the frame, and a wheel carried by the frame adapted to engage the rail only upon tilting the frame,

3. In a rail slotting machine, a frame, means for removably clamping the frame to the rail of a track adjacent a joint to be slotted, said means including a member adapted to be moved by force in one direction to effect a clamping engagement and spring means urging said clamping means towards disengaged position, a slotting tool carried by the frame, and means for traversing the slotting tool across the rail transversely thereto.

4. In a rail joint slotting machine, a frame, means on the frame adapted to engage one side of a rail ball, a movable member also carried by the frame adapted to be projected to engage the opposite side of the rail ball, a lever operably connected to said member to project the same upon movement of the lever in one direction, means for biasing said member toward retracted position, and means carried by the frame for slotting a rail.

5. In a rail joint slotting machine, a frame, means for removably clamping the frame to the rail of a track adjacent a joint to be slotted, and means carried by the frame for simultaneously transversely beveling the upper edges of both rail ends at the joint, said last means including a cutting bit having a Wedge-shaped end portion with side cutting edges, a tool holder for said bit carried by the frame, and means for traversing the tool holder laterally of the rail.

6. In a rail joint slotting machine, a frame adapted to rest upon and span both rails of a track, means for removably clamping the frame to one rail of the track adjacent a joint to be slotted, rail joint slotting means carried by the frame, and a wheel carried by the frame and arranged to extend beyond the outer side of one rail of the track and out of engagement with the track bed when the frame is in operating position.

ARION S. KALENBORN. 

